Forty-three Years After Stonewall

Forty-three years ago tonight, patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village, fought back against police conducting a routine raid. This act of resistance grew into several days of riots, which became a flashpoint in the movement for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights. For many years this movement struggled to achieve mainstream acceptance, and suffered painful defeats in the halls of government as well as losses to violent bigots and the scourge of AIDS. But the tide appears to be turning: the past eighteen months have seen the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the passage of marriage equality in New York, and the first acknowledgement of support for marriage equality from a sitting President. On the anniversary of Stonewall and in celebration of Gay Pride Week, here’s a look back at scenes from the early years of the L.G.B.T. rights movement.

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